San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-21
Christmas Eve.
CHAPTER II.
$50 we meet again, ROse!n

| WIFI sudden start, ana her nrSt I'M
| pulse was to stare cOldly and steadily
at the speaker, and to walk on as though
he had been perfect stranger to her.
And i'll calmer moments this was
what she would have done, but the
sense of modification and humiliation
under which she was labOring made her
eager to avail herself of any means by
which she could outrage the feelings of
her friends and show her defiance of
them, and here was the very man by
whose aid it might be done.
Of the ultimate consequences to her.
self she was reckless, if not positively
| Indifferent; she wanted to show Ralph
| PaSten and Mr.. Commission Danvers that
she did not care for their Sights, and
that there was somebody in the world
who was ready to devote himself to her,
body and soul.
That the man before her was an adj.
| venturer, and had behaved UNANIMOUSLY
| to girl of her acquaintance, who had
subsequently died, she knew quite well,
| for her own engagement to marry him
had been broken off in consequence.
NoN Sllt hOl lllllt dl Ills
presumption in calling at her aunt's
house; and that he had done 50 was
only too evident, for she met him in the
garden as he turned away from the
door.
He had taken her unresisting hand as
he spoke, and she, instead of resenting
the liberty, responded simply
"Yes, we meet again"
Il thought should find you at home"
he said, looking at her fair face with
such fierce love in his eyes, that heI
own eye-lids dropped beneath the in
tensity of his gaze; Il saw your aunt
and cousin go off to party, and | OBJ
served that you were not with them"
NO; didn't care about some of the
people" she replied indifferently; "but
the day is so fine that am rather sorry
now that didn't 60 with them. The
river is so tempting for good skate,
and it is very stupid staying at home
alone"
Let me take you out for the day." he
said eagerly; "let me taste the happi-
ness of spending one more day in your
cOmpany,-the last can ever hope to
spend so, perhaps; for l leave England
this week, and it is more than probable
that shall never return"
In her heart she cared nothing about
his leaving England, nor, indeed, what
became of him; but she wanted some
excuse for yielding to his entreaty, and
she assumed an interest she was far
from feeling, as she said with some
thing like dismay-
Leave England! Where are you
going?"
40 China" he replied, with grim
sadness; 81 muckered my life a couple
of years ago, and shall never do any
thing here. l am offered good ap-
pOintment out there and | mean to
start afresh. My chief regret is that l
must go alone"
She knew what he meant, but her
love for him was dead, and she not only
had no idea of exiting herself for his
sake. but she would not allow him to
entertain the hope of her doing so, and
she now said lightly
Men go to those remote places alone,
and they find plenty of English people
out there. / have no doubt that you
will get along capitaIly. read a novel
about some Englishmen in China the
other day, and it was so interesting it
almost made one wish to go there"
"AlmOst?" he repeated, looking at
her steadfastly.
YES, not quite" she responded; but
we can't stand here all the morning,
and I am afraid that | must not ask
you into the house."
"tf you ask me will come" he said,
while look of proud defiance flashed
across his handsome FACET am not
afraid of your aunt, or of your cousin;
nor of ten thousand like them"
mo, probably not" she responded
with a smile; but then you are not
obliged to live with Aunt Mary and
Beatrice, and | am, which makes all the
difference; | should never be forgiven
if invited you into the house in their
absence, after-after what happened"
He muttered something under his
breath, which she made point of not
hearing, then, recovering his self-cOn-
troll, he said
"PrObably you are right, the house is
your aunt's, and it is her privilege to
say who shall be received therein; but
you are not her exclusive property,
Rose, and you are all that care for in
this place-yOu will come with me for a
skate on the river, won't YOUR
81 am afraid, ought to say no" she
replied, playing with the cord of her
muff.
There is no reason why you should"
he pleaded; "yOu know | will take care
of you, and you have just said that you
W Il be dull and lonely here by yourself.
Let us have a little party all to our
selves, will get a little hamper packed
with luncheon at the hotel where | am
staying, let us have one more happy
day together, Rose, it will be something
to look back upon with pleasure and
satisfaction in the long years of exile,
that are before me-"
At this moment she seemed as if she
were on the point of saying something
further on the subject of Captain Cal
vert's merits, but she checked herself
suddenly, merely adding in an asserting
tone
very well, so be it."
Then they agreed where they would
meet an hour later, and the girl entered
the house, while he went to make ar
rangements for the proposed excursion.
Il am doing one of the maddest
things that any girl can dol" said Rose,